How Do We Change Behavior?
Behavior change can be brought about through a variety of techniques that utilize the behavior principles in order to properly arrange the environment so that certain behaviors are encouraged, while others are discouraged. The following is an overview of techniques:
Task Analysis:
“..involves breaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable units, the product of which is a series of sequentially ordered steps or tasks” (Cooper, Heward, & Heron, 2007). Task analyses identify the skills that employees currently posess and the ones that need to be taught. The analyses also are necessary to determine the number and difficulty of each step within a behavior chain. Effective analyses can be generated through observation of an expert doing the task, consulting with other individuals on the details of the task, and having the writer of the analysis complete the steps to see where revisions are needed. Below is a short example of how a task analysis may look;
“..involves breaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable units, the product of which is a series of sequentially ordered steps or tasks” (Cooper, Heward, & Heron, 2007). Task analyses identify the skills that employees currently posess and the ones that need to be taught. The analyses also are necessary to determine the number and difficulty of each step within a behavior chain. Effective analyses can be generated through observation of an expert doing the task, consulting with other individuals on the details of the task, and having the writer of the analysis complete the steps to see where revisions are needed. Below is a short example of how a task analysis may look;
Shaping:
“The method of successive approximation…may be used to establish a response…involves the reinforcement of closer and closer approximations to the final performance” (Pierce & Cheney, 2008). People are continually shaping one another's behavior by reinforcing some behaviors while extinguishing others. Some naturally occurring consequences will "weed out" some behaviors and promote others so that reinforcement can be maximized and the person can be efficient within their environment. This "efficiency" is the manner in which a person attains their goals. A key feature of shaping is identifying a final goal and determining the steps that will help the person
achieve that goal. In business, managers are responsible for shaping their employees behavior so that employees are able to be successful and also further
the company as a whole. See the video to get an idea of how some behavior can be shaped through delivery of consequences:
“The method of successive approximation…may be used to establish a response…involves the reinforcement of closer and closer approximations to the final performance” (Pierce & Cheney, 2008). People are continually shaping one another's behavior by reinforcing some behaviors while extinguishing others. Some naturally occurring consequences will "weed out" some behaviors and promote others so that reinforcement can be maximized and the person can be efficient within their environment. This "efficiency" is the manner in which a person attains their goals. A key feature of shaping is identifying a final goal and determining the steps that will help the person
achieve that goal. In business, managers are responsible for shaping their employees behavior so that employees are able to be successful and also further
the company as a whole. See the video to get an idea of how some behavior can be shaped through delivery of consequences:
Chaining:
"Response chaining involves breaking a task into its component parts via a task analysis and then sequentially teaching each individual component to mastery levels via prompting and differential reinforcement," (Slocum, 2011). A well-developed behavior chain will have discriminable steps that connect with one another in a logical manner, each mastered step results in the immediate delivery of a reinforcer during training, and completion of the chain will have reinforcing consequences for the employee. Quality of performance at each step of the chain should be assessed and movement along the chain should be as easy as possible for the employee. The following is a humourous look at how chaining works:
"Response chaining involves breaking a task into its component parts via a task analysis and then sequentially teaching each individual component to mastery levels via prompting and differential reinforcement," (Slocum, 2011). A well-developed behavior chain will have discriminable steps that connect with one another in a logical manner, each mastered step results in the immediate delivery of a reinforcer during training, and completion of the chain will have reinforcing consequences for the employee. Quality of performance at each step of the chain should be assessed and movement along the chain should be as easy as possible for the employee. The following is a humourous look at how chaining works:
Stimulus Control:
"A situation in which the frequency, latency, duration or amplitude of behavior is altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus" (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007).Therefore, environmental stimuli are arranged in such a way that they "signal" or "cue" a particular behavior to occur or change. This not only is vital in understanding the functional relationship between the environment and behavior, but it also allows you to structure an environment that will encourage the behaviors that you want to happen. For example, if employees are expected to be answering phones for the majority of the day, arrange an environment that allows for phone calls to be understood and accepted in an efficient manner. Thus, have a quality call waiting system in place, supply employees with headsets or cordless phones to allow for movement, construct desk areas that allow for privacy, and have materials needed to answer questions within reach of the phones. Take a look at the video below to see how environmental
contingencies can be arranged to promote desirable behaviors:
"A situation in which the frequency, latency, duration or amplitude of behavior is altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus" (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007).Therefore, environmental stimuli are arranged in such a way that they "signal" or "cue" a particular behavior to occur or change. This not only is vital in understanding the functional relationship between the environment and behavior, but it also allows you to structure an environment that will encourage the behaviors that you want to happen. For example, if employees are expected to be answering phones for the majority of the day, arrange an environment that allows for phone calls to be understood and accepted in an efficient manner. Thus, have a quality call waiting system in place, supply employees with headsets or cordless phones to allow for movement, construct desk areas that allow for privacy, and have materials needed to answer questions within reach of the phones. Take a look at the video below to see how environmental
contingencies can be arranged to promote desirable behaviors:
Feedback
Feedback can be a useful tool in improving performance because employees are not able to visually see the progress they have made, but they also can see and understand what the final performance goal is. Feedback can not only be reinforcing for employee behavior, but it also allows managers to see where plateaus are occurring and where behavior modification may be needed. However, feedback must be used constructively or else it could come to serve as a punisher. Take a look at the video to see the dangers of poor use of feedback:
Feedback can be a useful tool in improving performance because employees are not able to visually see the progress they have made, but they also can see and understand what the final performance goal is. Feedback can not only be reinforcing for employee behavior, but it also allows managers to see where plateaus are occurring and where behavior modification may be needed. However, feedback must be used constructively or else it could come to serve as a punisher. Take a look at the video to see the dangers of poor use of feedback: